Oak Ridge
Heritage and Preservation Association
May 10, 2007
Attendance: Keith McDaniel, Judy Clevenger, Colleen Black, Mary Fair, Anne
McBride, Heidi Miller, Bill Henry, Ruth Ann Maddux, C. J. Maddux, Sara
Gillespie, Jim Gillespie, Betty White, Dave White, Jerry Creasey, Mike Bradshaw,
Sandy Bradshaw, Margaret Allard, Pat Clark, Mick Wiest, Teri Wiest, Molly
Langdon, Eston Dunn, Caroline Bradshaw, Jack and Myra Mansfield, Howard Harvey,
F. K. Shook, Wanda Hagood, Fanny Smith, Daniel Hutchison, Harold Jernigan, Ed
Westcott, Sheila Hutchison, Bobbie Martin, Bill Wilcox, Ray Smith, Don
Hunnicutt, Ellen Smith, Pete Scott, Dave Miller, Jane Shelton, John Clark and
Martin McBride.
The meeting began at 7:05 PM in the Wildcat Den room of the Midtown Community
Center. ORHPA President, Keith McDaniel presided at the meeting. There were 43
people present (see attachment 1 on file).
A motion was made by Bill Wilcox and seconded by C.J. Maddux to accept the
Minutes of the April 12 membership meeting into the record as written. The
Minutes of the April 12 membership meeting were accepted by acclimation of those
present with one addition.
An addition was made by Keith McDaniel that on April 12 the ORHPA membership
recognized and congratulated member Betty Stokes for achieving her 70th
birthday.
Keith McDaniel announced the PKP Committee would be meeting briefly after the
membership meeting, in the Heritage Room.
Membership Chairman, Harold Jernigan announced that new memberships to ORHPA
were available to anyone who would like to have one. We currently have about 150
members.
Secret City Festival ORHPA Committee exhibit publicity, Martin McBride announced
we now have a new webpage on our ORHPA Secret City Festival activities attached
to our ORHPA.com website. Anyone can now go on our website and see what we have
planned for the A, B and C rooms of the Oak Ridge Civic Center on June 15 and
16. Just go to the ORHPA website (www.ORHPA.com ) and click on the link to The
Secret City Festival Exhibit. A special web page on Partnership for K-25
Preservation (PKP) activities during the Secret City Festival, including several
great Bus Tours, can be seen by going to www.K25Heritage.org and clicking on the
Secret City Festival link. One of the great PKP activities (in partnership with
the Atomic Heritage Foundation) is a Manhattan Project Veteran reunion (note:
see the graphic insert following these minutes.)
Building Co-Chairman, Howard Harvey announced the Class of 1967 volunteers under
the leadership of Pete Scott have put a new roof on the Pavilion behind the
Midtown Community Center. They have done a super job. We need to thank them for
all their hard work. (Note: thank you letters were mailed to them on April 9.)
Product Sales committee, Sara Gillespie announced she is taking orders for the
newly reprinted Gus Robinson book, The Oak Ridge Story. They are soon to be
available from our printer.
Keith McDaniel reported the ORHPA membership meeting for June will fall on the
Thursday evening of the opening of the Secret City Festival; therefore our
membership meeting will not take place. Instead, everyone may attend the
screenings of the movie, The Clinton 12, at Tinseltown Theater.
A member of our Board of Directors and website webmaster, D. Ray Smith, was
given a very well deserved and very special award by United Way this morning. He
was the recipient of their first ever, annual, Community Impact Award. We are
all very proud of Ray and grateful and appreciative for his time and energy
serving on our Board of Directors.
Keith McDaniel introduced member and teacher, Teri Wiest. Teri Wiest introduced
the three Fourth Grade students who were our guest speakers for the evening.
They were Molly Landon, Caroline Bradshaw and Eston Dunn. All three have been
working with mentors from ORHPA as they have been studying about early Oak Ridge
history. Keith set up a camera to film their presentations.
Molly Landon gave a presentation on the Role Women played in Oak Ridge History.
Molly also brought an exhibit board with photos and information about her topic.
She discussed the advent of women en mass into the work force during WWII. They
came because they were desperately needed. Most of the male workers were
overseas involved in the war effort and there was no one else available to run
the production facilities for goods needed to continue running the country and
providing for the war needs. The women discovered they were very good at their
jobs outside of the home and they enjoyed the new found freedom that came with
earning a paycheck. In Oak Ridge, the scientists in charge of the work with the
Beta Calutrons actually conducted a comparison test to see if the young women
workers were able to do their jobs as well as the male scientists. The women,
many of whom were in the work force in their first jobs outside the home,
outshone the male scientists in doing the job assignments. After the war was
over and women were expected to leave their jobs and return to the home, so that
men could resume the factory jobs available, many women workers refused to leave
the workforce. They enjoyed their new found opportunities and were determined to
continue to work where they chose.
Caroline Bradshaw gave a presentation on the Alexander Inn. She also presented
an exhibit on poster board of photographs and articles about the history of the
Inn. Caroline talked about how the Inn was originally called the Guest House. It
was the location designated as quarters for many famous scientists and
government dignitaries as they came through Oak Ridge for meetings and strategy
sessions on the work conducted by the Manhattan Project. Caroline said that many
of the meetings held in the Guest House were secret and those who visited used
code names for security reasons. Famous people like Arthur Compton, General
Leslie M. Groves, Enrico Ferme, and Ernst Lawrence among others stayed at the
Guest House. It was built in 5 to 6 months. It cost $1.50 to stay overnight when
it was first built. Caroline said this would be equivalent to $17.50 today. The
Inn was shut down in 1996. The Alexander Inn was recently listed as #4 on the
list of top 10 endangered historical buildings in Tennessee. It is estimated
that it would cost approximately 4 million dollars to buy and fix up the
property today.
Eston Dunn’s presentation on the Visionary Prophet of Oak Ridge was accompanied
by Eston Dunn in character as John Hendrix. Eston was dressed in hat and beard
and spoke with a strong Appalachian farmer’s manners. Eston talked about John
Hendrix life from 1865 through to 1915 when he passed away. After John Hendrix
wife and children left him for Arkansas, he spent a great deal of time in
prayer. During one of John Hendrix sessions in prayer, he heard a voice telling
him to sleep on the ground for 40 nights. He followed the advice and afterward
became attuned to the voice of Mother Nature and seeing through timelines. He
spoke to his fellow community members about the vision he foresaw of a city
being built on Black Oak Ridge. He spoke about the great numbers of people who
would be living and working here and, “the great big engines that would dig big
ditches…” He also spoke about the “great noise and confusion and the earth will
shake…” Eston said, “the Hendrix creek and valley in Oak Ridge are named after
John Hendrix.” Eston also told us the Oak Ridge Slogan, “The Vision Lives On” is
based on the story about John Hendrix. Eston also presented a poster board
exhibit with photos and articles helping to tell the John Hendrix story.
The presentations by Molly Langdon, Caroline Bradshaw and Eston Dunn were
excellent. The topics they chose were of great interest to our membership. We
are very appreciative of Molly, Caroline and Eston for their efforts and for
taking the time to present their projects to us. We also very much appreciate
Teacher, Teri Wiest and the mentors who were available to them to answer their
questions about the topics they chose. President Keith McDaniel presented each
of the three students with a gift of a DVD of the movie, Secret City, the Oak
Ridge Story (The Manhattan Project Years).
The next ORHPA membership meeting will be held on July 12th at 7 PM. The meeting
adjourned at 7:50 PM. Refreshments were served.
Minutes respectfully submitted,
Anne McBride
Secretary, Oak Ridge Heritage and
Preservation Association
May 24, 2007
